PHILIPSBURG--The Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB) has named Nevisian Kieran Powell as the captain of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes for Professional Cricket League later this year.
His deputy is Rahkeem Cornwall from Antigua and Barbuda. Those two major decisions were made at the LICB meeting here on St. Maarten on Saturday.
Vernon Springer who is the Cricket Operations Manager of LICB said that the decision was made to advance the vision of LICB. "We have identify these two young men as leaders. We believe now is the best time for them to lead the Leeward Islands to help advance our visions for the future. We are aiming to be one of the top two teams in the region." Springer told The Daily Herald after the meeting.
The appointment of Powell came on the heels of his lengthy absence from cricket and even a try-out for baseball at Mets’ spring training complex in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Milwaukee Brewers and in Bradenton, Florida.
Powell who made his test debut against India in 2011 has not played test cricket for the West Indies since an excused absence after the test match against New Zealand in June, 2014.
He did not play cricket in the West Indies for nearly two years until his selection for the Hurricanes in March of this year. Before that, his last engagement for the Leeward Islands was in March, 2014.
Powell tried to make a comeback to play for the West Indies in January 2015 but according to him, he received mixed signals from the West Indies Cricket Board which left him "deflated and confused."
Powell is a former Leeward Islands Captain and very promising opening batsman. There have many mediators to encourage him to return to play cricket for the Leeward Islands and the West Indies.
He, along with Cornwall is presently in Sri Lanka with the West Indies A team.
The ascendency to captaincy may very well be the dangled carrot to encourage him to keep playing cricket.
